2004 Ford Excursion - Black Smoke

Hard-Core 1,000 lb-ft Excursion

Riding around the sun-drenched avenues of Miami, Florida, are plenty of colorful and eye-grabbing rides. You'll find plenty of vehicles making the rounds with the top down, or at the very least, cruising with the windows open allowing maximum absorption of the ultraviolet rays emanating from the sun's fiery surface. It's as if the entire city's beating heart is destined to pulse according to the rhythm of the rising and setting of the sun. Going against the grain is Raul Gonzalez and his blacker than night 2004 Ford Excursion.

Although black is officially defined as the absence of color, we believe that black is one of the best color choices for anything requiring a tough outer appearance. Raul's oversized Excursion sure fits that definition to a "T." Rolling on 22-inch American Force Evo SS wheels wrapped in 37x13.50R22 Toyo Open Country M/T tires, the Blue Oval required a 6-inch leaf-spring lift to get head and shoulders above the crowds. Fabtech Dirt Logic 2.25 shocks are located at all the corners with an additional pair serving the steering stabilizer duty under the nose. Keeping the wheels turning are front and rear differentials capped by MagHytec finned covers and fit with 4.30 gear sets from Yukon. Not one to hide from the bonus details, the owner had the frame completely stripped and painted gloss black to match the outer shell.

Under the hood lies a 6.0L turbodiesel engine that in factory form would pacify the average enthusiast with a little more than a press of the go pedal. This Excursion does not fall into the "average" category and as such, has had more than a few modifications done to extract the power lurking in the dark recesses of the Power Stroke. Sucking in air through the aFe cold-air intake, the PowerMax turbo boosts air pressure and volume into a pair of ported heads held in place by high-tensile ARP head studs. An AirDog fuel system allows the larger injectors to squirt extra clean dinosaur blood into the cylinders before firing it all out through a custom 4-inch stainless exhaust system devoid of a catalytic converter or muffler. The original EGR system is the Achilles heel of the 6.0L and was smartly upgraded to Bulletproof Diesel's setup to prolong the engine and allow uninterrupted power levels. An SCT tuner makes it all work harmoniously. Harnessing those forced injection ponies is a 5R110 trans fit with a billet torque converter, upgraded internals, and a shift kit.

With so many details surrounding the rest of the big SUV, it would be easy to think the body received the same treatment. That merely isn't so, as the parts were chosen more to keep a simple, low profile. Hiding the actual age of the Ford are black housing headlights and a grille shell from a 2006 Harley-Davidson edition model. Power sideview mirrors off a 2010 Super Duty add to the mystique while the smoked factory taillights keep the theme rolling along. Hidden behind the deeply tinted windows is aural entertainment for Raul and his passengers provided by a Kenwood DVD head unit. Six total Kenwood speakers were spread around the cabin powered with amplification from JL Audio. Adding the low tones is a Bazooka bass tube. A 10-inch monitor keeps the owner's sons entertained from the back seat with their preferred movies.

Raul tells us there is still more to come in the Excursions future. With so many things already covered, we're sure there isn't much left to touch. One thing is for sure though: more power. Future upgrades to the Power Stroke include a larger intercooler and a nitrous system. We can't wait to see what kind of numbers that produces!